States, ICAR criticised for low productivity

‘‘ICAR should get its act together,’’ she said, urging the states to take a more proactive approach.

‘‘It (agriculture) is a state subject. What the Centre is doing will complement your efforts. You should feel enthused,’’ Singh told agriculture secretaries and commissioners from the states and Union Territories.

The states, she said, need to take more interest in a variety of areas — from ensuring that seeds, hybrid’s and technology reached the farmers, to amending the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act and taking more interest in implementing schemes.

‘‘We need to improve performance through mixed cropping and inter-cropping. No hybrid’s have been reaching farmers through the seed programme. I don’t understand how we are placing seeds,’’ she said.

The agriculture ministry is working on a seed plan for the country.

Regarding the APMC Act, she said only six states had reformed it.

‘‘As we have been emphasising for the past two years, the amendment to APMC Act is key to the marketing reform process. The Act is restrictive, discourages competition and obstructs remunerative prices to farmers… Everyone says we are here for farmers but when it comes to reform nothing happens,’’ she said.

The latest National Sample Survey Organisation report said 60 per cent of farmers had no access to technology.

‘‘That’s no compliment to us and those who are engaged in agriculture extension. We need to adopt more innovative methods,’’ she said. The agriculture ministry is now coming up with the countrywide launch of ‘‘Mission 4’’ to raise the agriculture growth rate by 4 per cent. She also recommended the creation of a task force comprising among others, the Vice-Chancellor of State Agricultural Universities, State Agricultural Secretary and District Agricultural Officers.